Sicilian Matarocco brings together fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil for a rustic bruschetta topping. Spoon it over toasted bread and enjoy a taste of Sicily.
I’m going to take you back to Sicily with Matarocco, or mataroccu as it’s called in Sicilian dialect, a really easy and tasty condiment from Trapani. It’s traditionally used to dress bruschetta and is made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil.
It was one of those family recipes we would always have during our holidays. It’s simple, inexpensive, and deeply rooted in Sicilian cooking.
I’ve always loved dishes like this. You really don’t need many ingredients to make something delicious. Matarocco is a perfect example of how Italian cooking relies on simple ingredients prepared properly.
When I go to an Italian restaurant outside Italy, which I must admit doesn’t happen often, I can usually tell quite quickly who’s cooking the real thing and who isn’t. Even if you aren’t fluent in Italian, authentic Italian food is easy to recognise. If a dish has so many ingredients that you can’t taste the main one, then it’s unlikely to be truly Italian.
Matarocco is very similar to Pesto Trapanese, only without the cheese. The tomatoes are crushed with garlic and basil to create a rustic topping for bruschetta. It’s the kind of appetiser we would always serve before grilling meat, fish, and vegetables at family barbecues. Enjoy!
Reasons to Make This Sicilian Pesto
- Bruschetta topped with Matarocco works equally well for lunch, appetisers, or casual dinners outdoors.
- Short preparation time makes this useful when you need a last-minute starter before dinner.
- Leftover ripe tomatoes finally have a proper use instead of sitting forgotten in the kitchen.
Key Ingredients for Matarocco
Tomatoes
Tomatoes give Matarocco its texture and fresh flavour. You can use both peeled and unpeeled tomatoes to create a softer consistency while still keeping some freshness and bite. Very ripe vine tomatoes or Roma tomatoes work particularly well since they have plenty of flavour without too much water.
Garlic
Garlic gives Matarocco its savoury depth and slight sharpness. Crushing it in the mortar helps it blend evenly through the tomatoes and basil instead of sitting in larger pieces.
Basil
Fresh basil adds freshness and a gentle sweetness to the condiment. Fresh small leaves are usually more tender and fragrant, and crushing them releases more flavour than chopping with a knife.
Find the complete list with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Matarocco
Step 1: Wash the tomatoes and place 4 of them into a pot of boiling water. Leave them in the water for 5 minutes, then drain and peel them carefully, as they will be very hot.
Step 2: Remove the seeds from the peeled tomatoes and chop them into small pieces. Set aside.
Step 3: Remove the seeds from the remaining tomatoes and chop them into small pieces. Reserve them for later.
Step 4: Wash the basil leaves and place them into a mortar with the garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Using the pestle, crush everything into a smooth paste.
Step 5: Add the chopped peeled tomatoes and continue working with the pestle until all the ingredients are well combined.
Step 6: Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil and the remaining chopped tomatoes with the skin on, then mix well.
Step 7: Serve immediately with grilled crostini.
Frequently Asked Questions
A mortar and pestle gives the most traditional texture, but you can finely chop the ingredients by hand if needed. Avoid using a food processor, as it turns the mixture too smooth.
Very ripe vine tomatoes or Roma tomatoes work particularly well because they have good flavour and less excess water.
Rustic Italian bread, ciabatta, or sourdough all work well because they stay crisp once topped with the tomato mixture. Slice the bread slightly thick so it can hold the topping without becoming soggy too quickly.
Yes. Fresh oregano, parsley, chilli flakes, chopped olives, or a little burrata all work well with the tomato and basil flavours. You can also finish the bruschetta with an extra drizzle of olive oil right before serving.
Extra Help from the Kitchen
Use a Mortar with a Rough Interior – Choose a rough stone or marble mortar instead of a smooth one. It helps break down the basil and garlic more evenly and gives the mixture a better texture.
Crush the Basil and Garlic First – Work the basil, garlic, salt, and pepper into a paste before adding the tomatoes. This helps spread the flavours more evenly through the condiment.
Cut the Tomatoes into Even Pieces – Chop the tomatoes into small, similar-sized pieces before mixing them into the bowl. This makes the topping easier to spoon onto bruschetta without large chunks falling off.
Toast the Crostini Properly – Grill or toast the bread until the edges are crisp but the centre still has a little softness. The bread will hold the tomato mixture better without becoming too hard.
Variations and Twists
Stir in Toasted Almonds – Crush a small handful of toasted almonds with the garlic and basil for a more rustic Sicilian flavour inspired by Pesto alla Trapanese. Keep the texture slightly coarse while maintaining a consistency suitable for bruschetta topping.
Swap in Cherry Tomatoes – Replace the regular tomatoes with ripe cherry tomatoes for a sweeter flavour and firmer texture. They also release less water, which helps keep the topping slightly chunkier.
Finish with a Small Splash of Balsamic Vinegar – Stir in a little balsamic vinegar for a tangier bruschetta topping. Use only a small amount so the tomato, garlic, and basil still stay clear.
Mix in Fresh Oregano – Add a little fresh or dried oregano with the basil for a more herb-forward flavour. Oregano works particularly well with toasted bread and olive oil.
Serve alongside Burrata – Spoon Matarocco over grilled bread and pair it with burrata for a richer appetiser. The creamy cheese works particularly well with the fresh tomato and basil flavours.
Storage and Shelf Life
Store Matarocco in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Since it’s made with fresh tomatoes and basil, it tastes best shortly after making it. The tomatoes may release extra liquid during storage, so give the mixture a gentle stir before serving again.
Freezing isn’t recommended because the tomatoes lose their texture once thawed. Remove the container from the fridge about 15 to 20 minutes before serving to let the flavours come back closer to room temperature.
More Authentic Italian Dishes You’ll Love
- Busiati with Pesto Trapanese and Fried Eggplant
- Lightened-up Eggplant Caponata
- Swordfish Caponata
- Olive Schiacciate
- Mahi Mahi with Caponata Sauce
Matarocco Recipe (Sicilian Tomato Pesto)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ripe tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 small bunch of basil
- 80 ml – ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes and place 4 of them into a pot of boiling water. Leave them in the water for 5 minutes, then drain and peel them carefully, as they will be very hot.
- Remove the seeds from the peeled tomatoes and chop them into small pieces. Set aside.
- Remove the seeds from the remaining tomatoes and chop them into small pieces. Reserve them for later.
- Wash the basil leaves and place them into a mortar with the garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Using the pestle, crush everything into a smooth paste.
- Add the chopped peeled tomatoes and continue working with the pestle until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the extra virgin olive oil and the remaining chopped tomatoes with the skin on, then mix well.
- Serve immediately with grilled crostini.
Notes
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I agree with what you write about Italian restaurants, and ‘brushetta” drives me crazy! I love pesto trapanese but have never had matarocco… or hear about it.
that’s easy and I even get all those ingredients here. I often make pesto like spreads like that, especially during snacking time and my husband loves them too. Thanks for sharing Manu!
MMMM sounds delicious.
Having Italian food at any possible opportunity, I’ll definitely do that ASAP.
cheers, 😉
Well the dish with a totally new name to me seems a version of tomato pesto so to speak and no doubt very tasty 🙂 ! Love to read your Southern Italian recipes, as most non-Italians largely know and cook dishes from Rome northwards methinks 🙂 !
Thanks! In fact it is very similar to pesto… the only difference is that Matarocco has no cheese in it. 😉
When I pronounce Bruschetta correctly, the (non-Italian) servers correct me. Then I ask them how they pronounce Pinocchio or radicchio. 🙂
Hhahahaha that’s a good one Janet! I will start doing the same from now on!! 😉